This is a story about Birgit, a six year old sweet kiddo. She’s been diagnosed with diabetes about a year ago. Incurable. This story is about how, through her, I myself am being confronted with the fact that her illness is much more of an issue to me than it is to her. She taught me a lesson there… The things that are on top of a kid’s list, should in fact be on top of anyone’s list:
Life is about playing with friends and family and having fun as much as you possibly can…
These intimate, close images, are freeze-frames out of her daily life. Random. Lots of different moments. Almost no visual context. Bare essentials. More about feeling the moment than looking at the moment.
There is no beginning and no end. A collection without order. You’ll recognise inside, outside, darkness, light, a bike, a bed or even a beach. But they are all irrelevant…
Just try to hear the laughter, hear the playing… Remember your own childhood… Feel like you’re there up close with her, her brother and her sister. Sometimes she will notice you and say hi. Sometimes she will play and laugh with you until her stomach aches. Sometimes you feel like you need to let her be, dreaming.
She stares into the sea.
—
anton kusters, december 21, 2008
Do I dare be the first? Excellent work Anton! Looking forward to the fire…
david mcg!
yes you truly are the first one… and many thanks for the kind words… i’m looking forward to the fire as well… wherever it may burn, may it burn fiercely…
Moving work ! Beautiful photographs !
Bonne continuation Anton.
Oh, Anton, SUGAR looks wonderful! You help us get past the pity-place and find the true essence of Birgit’s lively spirit. I am in awe of your artistry but even more, your sensitivity. This essay changes attitudes and isn’t that what it’s all about?
Now, to BURN. WOW!!! Edgy elegance is how I’d characterize your web design. And it is SO easy to navigate! How can we ever thank you enough for the gift you’ve given us??? You’re the BEST!!!
hugs
Patricia
ANTON! beautiful amigo.. i love this project of yours.
Nice Anton! Well done mate! It has been a long time since I originally saw this work back in the summer. It has evolved beautifully. You should be very proud. (burn site is amazing too!) Rest well brother, rest well…
Hi Anton, you essay has come alive beautifully, congratulations! The music was nice but it came to an abrupt end, prematurely perhaps…along with the slideshow…hope you will look into it later…I do not want to be sounding critical but I think you need to also think about how the essay will be ending along with the musical…about the site: everything is looking promising here. you have to be congratulated for this one also…take rest…
Anton…your essay on Birgit has truly come alive here. I feel privileged to have been able to see it evolve and grow into this wonderful work…a fit kickoff to fill the frame of the wonderful showcase that is being created here as well…
good light to all.
I loved your story of Birgit… Its a reminder of how sweet and precious it all is.. all of it.. ** this.. ** I like your use of color, soft and intimate.. and her story should inspire all.. how sweet it is.. perfect title.. **
Hey ‘lil bro, beautiful work…full of light and life! Congrats, well done!
Hi son, your words and photos are putting so much positive energy in the daily life of Birgit. She will always love you for that. So do I.
I love your story about Birgit… mes amitiés à toute la famille…
Great story.
Excellent website.
Congratulations!
Srinivas
I just realized I watched it silently. Never thought to turn on the sound. Nonetheless, it was a powerful experience. I will now watch again with the soundtrack playing.
Congratulations on a beautiful body of work. What a lovely youngster.
ANTON!
veramente veramente un bel lavoro!
molto profondo!
ALL… vincent, patricia, lance, james, siddhartha, andrew b, wendy, BIG sis lisa, mom (hi mom!), audrey, srinivas, paul, angelo…
i can tell you, waking up this morning to all these beautiful comments is a perfect way to start the day… heartwarming… thanks all for that….
after new year, i will start making plans to try and see publishers… i want to turn this into a book… i mean, if nothing else, what more beautiful is there than being able to present a real published book to kiddo Birgit as a gift… it is for her that i will go all the way to turn this project “real”… just one more step…
PAUL
yes yes, better off with sound :)))) the music fits the images well, don’t miss out on that…
SIDDARTHA
good point, i was aware of that, and i will be looking into that as well… i have a quicktime hi res presentation as well… where images, text and music are perfectly synched… but quite large to feature here… i might post the link to it soon….
Touching, intimate and beautiful. There are unique images in here, Anton. Congratulations!
Love,
Ana
hey Ana!
glad to see you here… and glad you like it :))))
Anton,
Wonderful work.
You inspire.
Many thanks.
MK
WOW! :))))
REALLY MAGNIFICENT and beautiful essay and I cannot imagine a more beautiful, heart-felt and insightful way to launch Burn Magnificent! :))))…Of course the photographs are beautiful and thoughtful and it has been such a pleasure to watch Birgit’s story unfold over the last year. Above all what i love about this story is that, in fact, it is the story of life. What I particularly cherish Anton is not for a moment is there a pin-prick of sentimentality or pity or squalor. In fact, to the contrary, the story and brigit’s life is filled with joy and abandon and not for a moment to we, the readers, feel “sorry” for her, but instead feel the inspiration and magnificent thrust of her energetic and wilding life. What I tire of so quickly, particularly with stories of children or of stories that detail illness, is the often sad and impailing weight of them. The truth is that children bare the fire and reckless light of living and even though their life may be defined by pain and difficulty, as is the case of Birgit’s life, most of the time they countenance that part as just another part of their life. These photographs and this story convey the power and joy and the mystery and unbridled and beautiful madness of living, the laughter, the sea lick, the light as opening, the daily routines, which for a child are always more than routine, the truth that even in times of uncertainty and pain, their life is lived as it is: inexpressible movement and discovery.
I am so proud of you for how you have offered up her life, your vision and the celebration of the living, and I cannot think of a wiser and more inspired story to begin this new frontier than that of this remarkable and joyeous young girl. I’d write more about the power and ambiguity of the photographs, but that would just be so much adult dross. That her life and the story has become a beacon, a talisman, to inspire is enought. Magnificent story and I celebrate your work and above all the power of this teeming and love-burn young girl.
Great opening and I feel so happy to see this day arrive!
Also, big contratulations to David Alan Harvey for his tireless efforts and uncommon vision to turn the “success” of his wildly read blog into something even more significant than a family of drifting, wayward folk into a powerful community that generates and celebrates through photographs and words this remarkable and mystery passing life. I stand in humble admiration for all that you and this community have accomplished. What a remarkable gift to all and to your readers at this time of the year when giving and fellowship seems to be at the front of all we speak upon.
Thrilled!
congratulations yall for this bloom amid the winter snow!
hugs
bob
Anton,
impressive story, beautifully captured, sensible, delicate… very nice!
keep up the good work!
all the best for involved in this project, godspeed.
hope burn is a success, to all the photographers and a warm hello and embrace for David Alan Harvey!
cheers,
David Clifford
Lisbon, Portugal
Many years ago, as I callow youth, I watched a photographer taking what I assumed to be editorial or perhaps stock photographs at a seaside resort. I presumed that he was a “professional” photographer because he was using the latest top-of-the-range Nikon film camera and a 300mm F2.8 lens. After watching him work for a while I approached him, explaining that I had a long-term photographic essay (click on my link below) of the resort and asked if he could advise me of any potential outlets for my work (remember this is pre-Internet days).
“That’s for me to know and for you to find out” he said.
I relate this story because it is a good illustration of the opposite of what we have here. Instead of obfuscation and protectionism we have a light, a beacon for talented photographers to rally around.
I’m really looking forward to seeing what this magazine can do. The only limitation is what we put upon ourselves and David doesn’t do limitation. Neither, it seems, does Anton. Wonderful essay Anton; very special and life-affirming. Thank you for sharing with us.
This is a special place.
Anton Good job.. I remember when I saw that progect when we where in Charlottesville… for LOOK3… and feel very happy to see it wider and deeper… good job.. Amico
great work
Super duper
Bravo
Right on
Amazing
Awesome
Sugar…
Burn…
The Start..
Excellent work! The music, the images takes me inside Birgite’s life.
I enjoy the manner you present us these storie.
Congrats!
ar
another love letter to the world of photographers this feels so right , feels like the right time and place as we look to how to get the work out, the work from the heart. love the title someway it fits.
Hello big brother!
Am very proud of you! Had to cry again! Very touching! Thanks for everything! Your work makes life much easier!
Anton, this is very special … a perfect opening for burn. I look forward to the book … signed of course :)))
Congratulations Anton!
Very nice to see this work edited! Love it!
Cheers
Anton
inebriante poesia!!!
Oh, I freakin’ love this piece…soo poetic. And those of you who haven’t seen the book comp, it looks even better in book form. Really looking forward to something happening with this. You da man, Anton! The site looks killer too!!
again, coming back from dinner to all these great comments is heartwarming… i need to go to bed now i’m completely exhausted… tomorrow i’ll be back here… reading more, replying in detail…
…so great sis that you dropped by…
more tomorrow, i promise…
cheers
anton–
everyone who sees this will absolutely fall in love with this little girl.
so beautiful and moving and uplifting. this was a pleasure to see and feel.
nicely done, anton and d.a.h!
anton, your own website is full of beautiful work, too.
is there someplace here on BURN where i missed a link or little bio about you? readers are interested, if this is missing it should be a standard piece of each essay — a few lines about the photographer / writer / artist.
Anton,
Lovely, sensitive and emotional work. I watched it silently too, by accident and loved the peaceful feeling I felt while watching what must be a life altering condition. This little girl is inspiring as is the photographer, you!
Burn is amazing and fresh and exciting!
Janet
Anton,
I must have seen the essay about 10 times today!!!! Also great choice of song. I cannot get the music out of my head and your photographs on top make it very very special! Maybe I will bug you when I am in Belgium on how to do these very nice slideshows….
Eric
Anton,
What a feeling watching and listening your wonderful essay … I tried to describe this feeling in English but that’s impossible for me. In Dutch there is one word that can describe a bit of those feelings: “bangelijk” (in verschillende betekenissen van het woord)…
Thanks, Anton, for all what you do for Birgit but especially for what you mean for her.
Sleep well
Bert
You’re sweet kiddo is beautiful through your lens, and has us all staring at the sea again, anew.
I can’t get over how much I love the out-of-focus-ness to this whole thing. It’s so communicative. There’s so much emotion and feeling to be captured in whole, so all we get are little imperfect glimpses, the sum of which ends up being close to perfect. Real nice.
ANTON…
“BURN is very cool. I enjoyed the “Sugar” piece. What a tragic, but lovely body of work.”
These are the words of Chris Johns, Editor, National Geographic Magazine in a private email to me this morning….
Nuff, said…we are rolling sweet….
cheers, david
Anton
I laughed with her and hurt with you… Thank you for sharing those emotions!
Thank you DAH for opening a window!
Mónica
brilliant anton..
love this format for showing work.. and so happy yours is the first ..
onandonandonandon
Anton…
Lovely, gentle and moving….
While undoubtedly a heartfelt photographic essay, I have to confess that “sugar” leaves me wanting.
Many of the photographs have a simple innocence to them that is alluring; however I found the repetition frustrating, and crucially (for me anyway) i didn’t feel like I learnt a single thing about diabetes from the images; further to this, the experiences of the little girl as described in the accompanying text just weren’t mirrored for me in the photographs. Perhaps I am missing the point, but without the text all i can see is a collection of well executed “family photos”.
is this enough? am I alone in thinking this way?
cheers
ben
ben
Before starting to train as a PJ i worked with young people with learning disabilities and medical conditions (including diabetes). It can be very easy to fall into the trap of portraying pity and the difficulties faced instead of letting individual characters and successes come through. It can be a difficult balance to make but this set seemed to dodge the question entirely by being so random and unstructured.
The son of close friend was also diagnosed with diabetes just over a year ago. I remember the burden it placed on a family not unused to difficult times. As time has passed they have accepted it as part of every day life. But it wasn’t easy.
This set doesn’t attempt to show any kind of journey. As Ben said above it doesn’t really rise above the nice family photo album. Its a shame, I can’t help but feel an opportunity was missed to explore the subject on such a personal level.
“The things that are on top of a kid’s list, should in fact be on top of anyone’s list”
so true, so true… loved the photos and the words above to…
best,
nelson
It’s hard to believe, a few months ago your work was spread about the floor of a Mexico hotel room. (or the boardroom) Great work! Hope to see you in 09.
Mike
I love the soothing beautiful photographs of Birgit. The joy in being young in all its innocence. However I myself am a Type 1 insulin dependent diabetic on an insulin pump, and not one of your beautiful photographs shows me what it’s like for her to be diabetic. I wouldn’t know she was diabetic except for the captions. I love the series as a photographic essay of a young lively girl, but the storytelling of her life is desired to complete the story of diabetes mellitus.
I would have to agree with some of the negative comments above. I love the photos, but as an essay it’s rubbish. The fact she has Diabetes, “The incurable kind,” seems to have little relevance and is more like a footnote. So what if she has Diabetes, “The incurable kind?” I don’t mean that I don’t care that she does, but the photos make me say “and…?” Show me with your photos why I should care, man! Too much of it seemed like it was being shot to impress other photographers, with a “look-how-clever-I-am!” feel, rather than trying to tell a story.
As a prickish comment perhaps, I can’t stand the trend of out of focus photography that abounds these days in photojournalism. It’s a cop out, and it’s basically lazy photography.
I have to agree with Mike above. This could have been shot in just one morning. I wouldn’t use the word “rubbish” though . My little cousin Tommy struggles from the same “incurable kind” of Diabetes, so i totally relate with the pain that this little girl goes through but honestly though, the photographs look like a Nikon commercial of a new lens. It is like a demonstration of how to use a lens open wide. Who cares about your expensive lens ? What is the message ? How this “essay” can be a study on Diabetes ? And the “out of focus” art?
Really , as Mike said above : ” show me with your photos why should i care ” ???
Not trying to be negative, i just do not get it.
thank you for trying though
Linda